Load clamp for bicycle rack

Abstract

A rotatable spring biased clamp for mounting on the platform of a bicycle rack pivots about the perpendicularly extending lugs ends of its legs. Each leg end is emgaged with a torsion spring that provides both a rotational force to the clamp, to hold objects on the platform, and a vertically bias on the lug ends, to hold them in place against the platform of a bicycle rack during use. The legs are elastically deformable toward each other, and coil type torsion springs have hook shaped tangs; the clamp is thus easily mounted on or removed from a rack platform without tools.

I claim: 
     
       1. A removable clamp for mounting on a horizontal platform of a bicycle rack, the platform having a length, width, upper surface and lower surface, comprising: a clamp body having a length and a width;   a first leg and a spaced apart second leg, both legs attached to and extending from the clamp body at one end thereof, each leg ending in a pivotable termination; and,   a first spring, for flexibly connecting the pivotable termination of the first leg of the clamp body to the rack so the termination is in close proximity to one of the surfaces of the platform, when the clamp body length lies parallel to the platform length; the spring adapted to apply rotational and vertical force to said first leg when the clamp body is connected to the rack by the spring, said vertical force urging the pivotable termination of the first leg toward contact with the one surface of the horizontal platform;   wherein, by overcoming resistance created by the spring, the pivotable termination is vertically movable relative to said one surface of the platform and horizontally slidable lengthwise along said one surface of the platform while remaining in close proximity therewith.   
     
     
       2. The clamp of claim 1 wherein the pivotable termination of each leg is a lug extending substantially perpendicular to the clamp body length. 
     
     
       3. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the spring is a coil type torsion spring, comprised of a coil body having first and second tangs extending from the opposing ends of the coil body, the spring mounted on the lug of said first leg so the spring coil circumscribes the lug, the first tang of the spring engaged with the clamp body, the second tang of the spring adapted for engagement with said rack. 
     
     
       4. The clamp of claim 3 comprised of a second coil type torsion spring mounted on the lug of the second leg in the same manner as the first spring. 
     
     
       5. The clamp of claim 3 wherein the spring has a hook shape second tang, for easy engagement and disengagement from the rack. 
     
     
       6. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the legs are elastically deformable relative to each other, to facilitate installation and removal of the clamp for the rack. 
     
     
       7. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the lug of the first leg faces in an opposing direction to the lug of the second leg. 
     
     
       8. The clamp of claim 1 wherein the clamp body has a u-shape, said legs extending from the free ends of the u-shape. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus for carrying articles on a bicycle comprising: a rack, having a platform and means for attachment to the bicycle, wherein the platform lies in a substantially horizontal position during use;   the platform having a top for supporting articles, a length, a width, an upper surface, a lower surface; and, opposing side edges extending along the length;   a clamp having a clamp body, a portion of the clamp body positioned above the top surface of the platform, for rotating downwardly to hold articles on the platform, the clamp body having a length and a width corresponding in alignment to the length and width of the platform;   a first leg and a spaced apart second leg, attached to and extending from one end of the clamp body generally in the same direction as the clamp body length, at least one of said legs pivotably attached to the platform by a spring means; each of said legs having a free end terminating in a lug extending substantially perpendicular to the clamp body length and in the direction of the clamp body width, each lug lying in proximity to an opposing side edge of the platform, each lug in close proximity to one of the surfaces of the platform near the side edge;   spring means, connecting the lug of the first leg to the side edge of the platform to which it is proximate, the spring means applying rotational force and vertical force to the first leg, said forces urging the leg and clamp body to rotate about the lug and simultaneously urging the lug into proximity to said one surface of the platform; wherein, said spring means vertical force is necessary to maintain the first leg lug in close proximity to said platform one surface; and, wherein the first leg lug is horizontally movable along the platform in the lengthwise direction while remaining in close proximity to said one surface, by overcoming forces created by the spring means.     
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the lug is positioned proximate the bottom surface of the platform side edge and wherein the spring means urges the lug upwardly against the bottom surface of the platform. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the spring means comprises a coil type torsion spring comprised of a coil body having first and second tangs extending from the opposing ends of the coil body, the torsion spring mounted on the lug of said first leg so the coil body circumscribes the lug, the first tang of the spring engaged with the clamp body, the second tang of the spring engaged with the platform. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 11 comprising an additional similar torsion spring mounted on the lug of the second leg in the same manner as the spring mounted on the first leg. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the second tang of each spring has a detachable hook end engaged with a side edge of the platform. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the spaced apart legs are elastically deformable relative to one another, to facilitate installation and removal of the clamp from the platform. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the lugs of the respective clamp legs extend in opposing directions. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the platform has a top surface with openings adjacent said platform side edges, the free ends of the legs extending lengthwise through the openings, the openings having sufficient dimensions to enable the lug ends of the legs to pass there-through. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the clamp has a u-shape, said one end of the clamp body comprising the open end of the u-shape. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each leg has a leg subsection proximate the lug thereof, the subsection lying at an angle to the length of the clamp body. 
     
     
       19. Apparatus for carrying articles on a bicycle comprising: a rack, having a platform and means for attachment to the bicycle, so the platform is in a generally horizontal position during use;   the platform having a top surface for receiving articles, a bottom surface, a length, a width and opposing side edges extending along the length; the platform surface having at least two spaced apart openings, each opening adjacent an opposing side edge;   a clamp pivotably engaged with the platform, comprising a clamp body positioned above the top surface of the platform, for rotating downwardly to hold articles thereon, the clamp body having a length and a width aligned with the length and width of the platform;   the clamp having a first leg and a second leg, the legs attached to, extending from, and running generally parallel to the length of, the clamp body; each leg having a free end, one of each leg free ends passing through one of each said openings in the platform surface, to the vicinity of the bottom surface of the platform;   each of said leg free ends having a lug extending substantially perpendicular to the clamp length, the lug of the first leg facing oppositely to the direction of the lug of the second leg, each lug positioned closely proximate to the bottom surface of the platform at the side edges thereof;   a first spring of a coil torsion type, mounted on the lug of the first leg to flexibly connect the lug to the platform; the spring comprised of a coil body having first and second tangs extending from the opposing ends of the coil body, the first spring mounted on the lug of the first leg so the spring coil circumscribes the lug, the first tang of the spring pressing against the first leg, the second tang of the spring pressing against the side edge of the platform, the spring applying vertical force and rotational force to the clamp leg, for urging the clamp body to rotate about the lug and simultaneously applying force to urge the lug upwardly toward the bottom surface of the platform where the first leg lug is positioned, so the lug functions as the pivot point for the clamp body; and,   a second spring of a coil torsion type mounted on the lug of the second leg, configured and functioning similarly to said first spring mounted on the lug of the first leg; wherein said lugs are connected to the platform only by said springs; and, wherein said vertical spring force is required to maintain said lugs in close proximity to the bottom surface of the platform.